Led by studio manager Robin Houston, the team at BEYOND Pilates in Frisco, TX has become a community partner with FETCH. Pictured here: (Back Row): FETCH volunteer coordinator Tegan Richter, BEYOND trainer Alesha Tremble, FETCH co-founder Jennifer Baptista, BEYOND Frisco GM Robin Houston, FETCH treasurer Amy Moses. (Front Row): BEYOND’s Bre Harker, FETCH Development Officer Allison Wells, Vice Chair Lindsey Hardman, and BEYOND’s Madeline Molloy.
By Karyn Brodsky | GLF Writer
At one point or another, we all need a little help from our friends. For some women in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, help comes from four-legged, furry friends.
Fostering Empowerment Through Canine Help (FETCH) assists women who have endured abuse or trauma and pairs them with highly-trained psychiatric service dogs to help them thrive and regain or build an independent and fulfilling life. FETCH funds the purchase of a dog from one of the approved breeders used by their training partners at Scout’s Legacy Service Dogs, located in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex and also covers the monthly fees for the 36-month owner-trained program at Scout’s Legacy.
FETCH assists women who have endured abuse or trauma and pairs them with highly-trained psychiatric service dogs to help them thrive and regain or build an independent and fulfilling life.
Founded in December 2020, FETCH was the brainchild of current Chairman of the Board Jennifer Baptista, sitting Vice Chairman of the Board Lindsey Hardman and former board member Emily Stein.
Baptista and Hardman rescued their own dogs and started basic obedience training; soon after, they joined a therapy dog program. During this time, they developed a passion from seeing the joy and healing that dogs can bring to those who need it. This then led to brainstorming ideas about how to create a nonprofit that used dogs to help people. Some trainer friends mentioned that women who experienced extreme trauma or abuse often reached out to them inquiring about a psychiatric service dog. They mentioned to Baptista and Hardman that a psychiatric service dog could aid in the victims’ healing as well as supporting them in their everyday lives.
When the friends first developed the concept for FETCH, they searched for similar organizations locally and nationally but came up empty. There were many organizations that focused on veterans or those struggling with mental health, but none specifically for women.
Baptista emphasized that, “In our research, we learned that female trauma survivors are twice as likely to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) than male survivors (American Psychological Association)—along with many other unsettling statistics regarding sexual assault on women, intimate partner violence, domestic violence, and human trafficking—and just decided this was where we could help most and make a difference.”
The COVID-19 pandemic also provided an impetus to forge ahead with the nonprofit’s services. Domestic abuse rates rose as people sheltered at home, isolated from society. According to Baptista, “Texas Monthly noted a 20% increase in domestic violence reports to the Dallas PD after the stay-at-home orders.”
“In our research, we learned that female trauma survivors are twice as likely to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) than male survivors (American Psychological Association)—along with many other unsettling statistics regarding sexual assault on women, intimate partner violence, domestic violence, and human trafficking—and just decided this was where we could help most and make a difference.”
Jennifer Baptista
“Initially, I remember us thinking ‘If we are able to help just ONE woman, how awesome will that be?’ Now, we’ve provided funding for psychiatric service dogs for three women,” Baptista said. “When you think about it, this has helped so many more than just the three women who received these dogs. It’s a domino effect: we changed the trajectory of families’, friends’, and coworkers’ lives because we’ve helped her find herself again or maybe for the first time. This is really our ‘why.’”
The nonprofit carefully selects female candidates, choosing women who are psychologically ready to begin the program, as well as financially ready to support the basics needs of a dog (i.e., food, vaccines, pet care, etc.), Baptista explained. FETCH collaborates closely with the trainers at Scout’s Legacy and relies on their expertise in determining—based on psychiatric diagnoses and what tasks the dog will need to perform for the woman—the dog’s breed and size that will ensure a successful pairing. The organization also consults with the mental healthcare professionals who counsel the female candidate to ensure they start the program at the optimal time for them.
Baptista stated that if a woman begins training a service dog before they are far enough along in their own healing process, it can be detrimental to their continued healing as well as the success of the pair. So far, she added, the participants have formed a strong bond with their service dogs, and the women’s response to the program has been favorable.
At present, funding is only available to those residing in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, due to in-person training requirements, the need for close proximity to the trainers, and to reduce travel expenses. The amount fundraised to underwrite dog training (as much as $15K and up) and the number of applicants are also major considerations. All funds that are collected go toward the FETCH program, as Baptista and the others are unpaid volunteers and committed to helping the women selected to be paired with a psychiatric service dog.
To date, FETCH has funded two dogs—Joy and Quade—who graduated from a fully-trained service dog program with the organizations’ prior training partner, Paws in Hand, Baptista noted. Currently, Mabel, a Labradoodle and FETCH’s first owner-trained dog, is about a year into the process through Scout’s Legacy.
“We begin with a puppy from a breeder that has been approved by Scout’s Legacy,” Baptista said. “This helps increase the chances of success because the health background and lineage of the dog is known, which means that their lifespan is likely expanded and means they can help their human longer.”
The breeders and Scout’s Legacy also have good indicators of the puppy’s temperament, which helps determine if a service dog will be beneficial, Baptista continued. The dog’s exposure to external factors and experiences is more controlled when they come from an approved breeder as a puppy, which helps mold them into effective service dogs.
The path to establish FETCH hit a few bumps along the way, but Baptista, Hardman, and everyone they work with remind themselves every day that, “the blood, sweat, and tears (lots of tears when you hear the stories of the women who need these dogs) are worth it, even if we help just one more person…because we get to help change the course of someone’s life for the better.”
Though still a fledgling nonprofit, the main goal of FETCH is to raise enough funds to provide as many women with psychiatric service dogs as they are able. To achieve this, the organization is working to partner with other entities that help women who’ve experienced trauma, to share knowledge and to support causes to raise awareness, educate people about service dogs, and to give back wherever they can.
One community partner is BEYOND Pilates, a Frisco, Texas-based fitness studio. Frisco Studio Manager Robin Houston says she was moved by the nonprofit’s passion to serve women in need of an emotional lift. “After learning about the FETCH mission, we recognized that BEYOND Pilates shared similar values, and we were proud to partner with a group of inspiring strong women helping other women.”
Referrals are welcome and interested applicants can reach out at fetchdfw.org/ or via email at info@fetchdfw.org. To donate or volunteer, visit fetchdfw.org/
“After learning about the FETCH mission, we recognized that BEYOND Pilates shared similar values, and we were proud to partner with a group of inspiring strong women helping other women.”
Robin Houston
(lady holding dog photo)
(photo of brown and white dog)